Shopping

Two Rondeñas Create Online Shopping Portal for Spaniards

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A new website owned by Rondeñas Hilde and María has been launched from Ronda, and is already capturing the imagination Spanish speaking shoppers looking for their favourite brands online.

Named La Flor y Nata (www.laflorynata.es), a Spanish expression that roughly translated means the flower and the cream, though is more fittingly described as the best of the best, La Flor y Nata has grown quite rapidly and showcases many of Europe’s most popular brands such as Mango, Miss Sixty, Tommy Hilfiger, Catwalk, Diesel, Cowgirl, Outlet, and many more.

Ronda Today spoke with Hilde and María to ask about their website and the response they’re getting from shoppers and retailers.

Designed by the ladies, La Flor y Nata is designed to be attractive for women of distinction who enjoy shopping but lack the time to visit every shop in town. Perhaps they are working or caring for their families, or perhaps like in Ronda they aren’t able to see their favourite brands without travelling to the coast.

La Flor y Nata contains the best of the tiendas online (online shops), and whilst the site is yet to earn any decent income both Hilde and María are very excited about its potential. Already the ladies have a mailing list of several thousand women who enjoy keeping upto date on the latest online shopping discoveries.

Every month La Flor y Nata send an email update with new tiendas online they’ve discovered, and they’ll often pick the best offers from retailers to include in their email.

The greatest pleasure the two ladies receive is when they receive an email thanking them for producing their website which acts like a giant yellow pages of online shops in almost every category from women’s fashion to children, appliances, shoes, jewellery, rugs and more.

Whilst the site is in Spanish, Hilde and María doubt English speakers will have any trouble using the site due to the large number of very descriptive images, with their intention that women should be able to relax with a wine and enjoy browsing the various shopping sites with ease.

In addition to providing the very best online retailers, La Flor y Nata also arrange regular competitions for their susbscribers, simply send them a mail to enter the draw, or refer a friend to win some interesting prizes from major retailers.

Both Hilde and María speak excellent English as well as Spanish so if you see something you like about their website, or if you’d like to request they add a retailer, simply send them an email, their contact form is listed under ‘Contacto’ on La Flor y Nata website.

In the near future Hilde and María plan to add several UK based online retailers, though they are keen to emphasise they will only list retailers that are willing to deliver in Spain.

If you’d like to know more about working from home using the Internet, read our work from home guide.

Ronda News

Ronda’s Legionnaires Scheduled to Leave for Afghanistan

Troops from Ronda’s Legion barracks at La Indiana will soon deploy to Afghanistan and replace existing troops as well as contribute to Spain’s commitment to US President Barrack Obama’s troop surge announced late last year.

The third regiment “Alejandro Farnesio”, a light infantry regiment known for their professionalism and vigor are considered part of Spain’s special  forces and are based in Ronda, with many young Rondeños forming part of the regiment.

Troops assigned to Afghanistan will be part of a designation Asfora 25 which also includes small numbers of troops from other military units though the bulk of Asfora 25 will comprise soldiers from Ronda’s barracks.

In Ronda we often see the boys in green wandering around with their loved ones, and on Saturday a particularly large group with their wives and girlfriends could be seen enjoying coffee or a last stroll through La Bola before reporting back on duty this morning.

Spain’s contingent in Afghanistan are part of the UN authorised ISAF Regional Command West, based in Herat in western Afghanstan. Spanish fatalities from operations in Afghanistan to date number 89, including 62 deaths when a returning plane crashed killing 62, and another 17 killed when their helicopter crashed.

Ronda News

PSOE Secretary Embarrassed in Candidacy Gaffe

An embarrassing faux pas on the part of the secretary of municipal politics in Ronda’s PSOE who stated today that Antonio Marín Lara had been nominated as the party’s next mayoral candidate was quickly rubbished by party bosses.

Francisco Marquez, PSOE municipal secretary of the PSOE was commenting about speculation Marín Lara would be appointed mayoral candidate, and confirmed the party executive had approved Lara without a vote from party activists.

This in response to comments from officials in the Partido Popular (PP) at the weekend that a backroom deal had been agreed within the PSOE to choose Marín Lara instead of allowing party activists to vote on candidates under normal democratic principals.

PSOE general secretary Francisco Cañestro and mayor Antonio Marín Lara hastily organized a press conference several hours later to deny any backroom deal and assure party activists that no decision had been taken, and that a vote for list candidates would be taken in due course.

Sources inside PSOE Ronda have suggested to Ronda Today there is significant unease from PSOE party faithful that Marín Lara and his eight PA turncoats will be given preferential list placement over long time PSOE members as reward for abandoning the PA and giving the PSOE a governing majority during 2009.

Ronda Today understands that as many as 20% of PSOE activists may be tempted to vote PA in the next municipal elections if Marín Lara is appointed mayoral candidate simply our of revenge.

Francisco Cañestro is understood to be keen to find a compromise with disaffected PSOE activists, with the possibility several of the turncoat councillors may not in fact find their names on the party list thus preserving a sense of unity amongst PSOE party members and traditional voters.

Ronda

New Gate at the Entrance to Ronda

Today in Ronda News, the city now has a new gate which will welcome visitors to the city, and is the first gate installed since the middle of the 18th century, although the new gate is fittingly more modern as Ronda breaks the shackles of the past and becomes a modern European city.

Designed and built by the students of the Employment Workshop “Arunda”, the  gates are made of recycled metals salvaged in Ronda and stand four metres high. The gates are located in the park being developed next to Ronda’s Palace of Justice at the end of Avenida de Málaga.

The students are all unemployed people learning a new skill, and this project is described as having been hugely motivational, with most putting in extra hours to see the gates completed to a high standard.

Ronda’s mayor Antonio Marín Lara, and the delegate for Employment Josefa Valley were on hand to congratulate the students for their efforts.

In the coming weeks the new parkland will be completed, and will showcase the gates as well as  a new fountain. It is hoped the area will be a welcoming sight for visitors to the city, as well as an attractive space for residents in surrounding streets to relax.

Finance

Occupancy in Ronda Hotels Averages 40%

Spain’s National Institute of Statistics has completed its annual survey of employment on the tourism industry, highlighting that 250 people are directly employed by Ronda hotels.

During 2009 Ronda received 243,939 visitors who stayed at least one night in a Ronda hotel. This amounted to an average occupancy of 40% climbing to 50% at weekends, and around 95% during the Pedro Romero Feria and the following long weekend.

The strongest months in Ronda were April and May, and August to October which confirms the feeling shared by many hoteliers in Ronda that the summer months of June and July are just too hot for most tourists despite these being the months of Spanish school holidays.

Foreign tourists accounted for 54.5% of visitors in 2009, and the remainder 45.5% being Spanish, though significantly the 2009 figures show growth in domestic tourism of 3% as foreigners stay home or go to cheaper locations in Europe and North Africa to compensate for poor economies in their home nations.

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